What they played
by Lor-tan
Summary: Did anyone ever think about how much stress Link was put through? He lost a large chunk of his life, faced countless terrors, and nearly dies. A lot. And did anyone ever wonder what kept him together? Well I certainly hope not, because I'd hate to copy anyone. (By the way, this is Slash.) Under revision.
1. FAKE

Sheik stared, breathless, from his ledge, ears straining hard to listen in on the conversation below where Zelda was gesturing to herself, speaking hurriedly as if trying to explain some great sin, and Link was just watching her with wide, confused eyes.

Sheik heard her claim it had been her watching over Link all along.

LIES, Sheik thought, ALL LIES, but he didn't say anything, didn't even move a muscle, because if nothing else he was scared to see what Link would look at him like if he revealed himself. So instead he just settled for watching from his little perch, waiting for the happy expression that would no doubt cross Link's face upon learning that he didn't have to bear the shame of having been guided on his quest by a filthy BLOOD EYE.

It didn't come. A foreign look that Sheik had never noticed spread over over Link's features as Zelda finished, staring at him expectantly. Link looked almost... sad.

...If only that were true. Sheik knew first hand the hatred all Hylians felt towards his kind, the Sheikah. Even Princess Zelda herself displayed it, a little bit, as evidenced by how many times she had screamed at him for any small flaw he caused in her great plan, any stumble on his part that could lead to anything going wrong. She wasn't nearly as gentle as she pretended. And the hate... it was like an instinct, so deeply ingrained in the Hylian bloodlines that Sheik doubted it would ever come out, even over all the peaceful centuries sure to follow. And yet, there the legendary hero stood, his darling hero, almost looking like maybe, just maybe, he didn't completely despise Sheik and all of his kind.

That couldn't be right. It had always been obvious that Link did not like him, a fact that had made Sheik crave pain on more then one occasion. No one had even noticed the extra bandages.

Of course they hadn't, who was there to notice?

And even when Sheik had been helping Link, guiding him forward to the next temple, Link had made it QUITE clear exactly how he felt about being assisted on his journey by a BLOOD EYE. He had always acted on edge, looking anxious and like he could barely control himself, looking like he wanted something, to say something. No doubt he had wished for the red eyed abomination before him to leave as soon as possible. So Sheik always had, as soon as he could while still sticking to Zelda's plan, because seeing that look on Link's face had broken him in ways he couldn't even begin to describe. He never even looked back through the smoke, afraid to see the thankful expression appearing on his beloved face in his absence.

But even that would have been better then what he was witnessing now, what Link looked like with all this new information loaded onto him. He looked so tired, so confused, so utterly BROKEN. Sheik wanted to jump from his ledge, to run up and wrap his arms comfortingly around his hero, to kiss that heart-achy look away from Link's pretty, pretty face, even though he would no doubt scream in rage if he did.

So instead he stayed put, and watched the one he loved most of all silently break down before him. Zelda had already turned around, switching to other subjects, probably mistaking his silence for acceptance and graciously taking it upon herself to explain her great plan. She never bothered to check on the things her words could mean and their effects on a person. He wished she could be just a little bit less like her father.

She never saw tears starting.

But Sheik saw. He saw his hero's eyes become wet, his hero trying his best to cope with all the horrors he had been through, but still failing miserably for some reason he didn't know. It wasn't right, that look being on Link's face. That downward tilt of the head, those scrunched up eyebrows, those lips pressed so tight together that they turned white instead of their natural petal pink. Those increasingly wet eyes. Link was strong, he was the brave, beautiful hero of time that Sheik had grown up hearing stories about, practically worshiping, forming his first crush on. He wasn't supposed to look like he would break down sobbing any minute now. Sheik silently put his hands over his eyes and rolled over onto his back so he wouldn't see any more, hopefully not giving away his position with the movement, because Zelda didn't know he was here and would probably kill if she did.

He was supposed to have dissapeared by now.

He now wished he had, because he just couldn't watch this anymore.

Link's face, even when he could no longer see it, haunted him. The legendary warrior had looked so SAD... Sheik made a snap decision, followed by a quick vow. He would watch over Link forever, if only to prevent that look from reappearing.

And maybe learn to play the ocarina. Link was so enchanting when he played.

xXx

Link stared straight ahead in disbelief as Zelda kept speaking, explaining matters he couldn't even begin to decipher in his shell-shocked frame of mind.

Sheik... had been FAKE? FAKE? That couldn't be right. Sheik had BEEN THERE. Through it all. He had been there, Link's guide, the mere thought of him something to calm him down throughout all the nightmares and panic attacks and random screaming fits when Link saw something that scared him. And that was a lot, during the journey he had been through. The years he had missed and the horrors he had faced. He had just BEEN THERE, even if he wasn't actually always there, helping Link understand what the hell was going on around him. He had been there for Link to hold onto with his panicked mind, since he had first lain eyes on the blond Sheikah and been utterly swept away by that wonderful red gaze.

He could have melted under those shining scarlet orbs forever.

He WANTED to melt forever, to ignore the rest of the world crumbling and falling around him and just be STILL for once. To not have to deal with the fact that good people were dying, falling down all around him because of his many inadequacies. Again.

Of course, Sheik had always skittered so quickly away. Leaving Link standing alone in a cloud of scented smoke, yearning to see him again, hear his music, smell the fragrant spices the other must have bathed in, or something, because he always smelled so very SWEET. He had still been so very real, because how else would Link have been able to feel so at peace all of a sudden? So he had always pushed on, eager to get to the next temple, because he knew that if he did it right for once, he would see those beautiful red eyes again.

And now? Now he was being told that all those emotions had been FAKE. That Sheik hadn't been there, hadn't even existed, and that practically every emotion he had felt for the last YEAR, his determination, his loneliness, his satisfaction, his courage, it had actually been nonexistent too.

And now, as a result, he could feel himself breaking.

He had long since frozen up, scared of what he might do if he moved, what he might say. Zelda was still talking, unaware of of his breakdown behind her, of the absolute agony he felt upon having his heart ripped apart and then sewn back together in the wrong way. Unaware that any moment now he might snap on her as all of the stress and weight he had carried came tumbling down on him, now that the extra sustenance Sheik had provided him was gone.

He used to always think she was sweet, but now he wondered. She had just admitted to doing this to him, after all, making him feel so high in the sky and then cruelly yanking him back down to the ground. She had done this. Made him cry inside. Break inside. DIE inside.

But despite the pain and the huge sense of betrayal, an overwhelming thought now filled his mind like the noise at the Zora waterfalls did. LIVE. Push it down, suppress it all, shove it all into a bottle like a bug, and don't open it up again, ever, because if he did he's no doubt shatter. He had to SURVIVE.

Even if it would break him in the long run.

Even if he was fake, Sheik had obviously wanted him to live, at least Link thought he had. He apparently hadn't been there, so who knows how many of the things he thought about Sheik had been fake. He had to power through it all, though, even if he had to depend on a fake person who was never there, a ghost of the person he loved regardless. Even if on his own he was PATHETIC.

He wanted to be a child again, in the woods, having never heard of this mess. He wanted to be spoiled, and never cry. And instead he was stuck here, forcing himself to keep living. But on the upside, maybe he could at least cling to Sheik's fake existence. Maybe he could fantasize that this was all a joke, that Zelda was lying, and that his Sheik was out there SOMEWHERE.

And hey, maybe he could learn the lyre. He had always loved Sheik's playing.

.

* * *

So there you go. And if you couldn't tell, I kind of dislike Zelda. Or full out hate her, whatever. (Nasty bedswerver that she is, and all.)

Anyhow, have any of you ever had to go to something really boring, and while you're listening to everyone else drone on, you're like, "Oh! I have an old schedule, I have a pen, I think I'll write slash. That seems logical. Besides, even if the kid is getting baptized, he's just a baby! He won't mind." Well, that's how this happened. So I don't know if it's any good or not, but please review, because I'd love to write another chapter or two. Though you probably don't want me to, because this was no doubt a terrible experience for you. I'm so sorry I write such trash and then make you all read it. Ah well. Byeeeeee!


	2. SAFE

Oh my goddesses, someone didn't completely hate this! FCL, thank you sooooo much, I love it when someone actually notices my work and tells me it's decent! I'm going to try to make this happy, but for now it'll just be a scrap of life afterwords, and then maybe a third chapter where they do actually meet again. If all goes well, this will be one of my actually happy stories. Anyhow, once again, thank you sooooo much for your input, and I hope it isn't way too awkward to find me thanking you like this. Thank you Lin-Dragon-Dreyer, as well. Also, I'll try to polish up the first chapter a bit, too.

* * *

It had been months since Sheik had promised to watch over Link forever, and it was getting harder and harder not to reveal himself. For his entire life he had been raised to believe that the Hero Of Time could do anything, that he was the strongest ever, that he could take on anything and never show weakness. He was starting to realize, though, that such things weren't true at all. He had watched Link screaming in his sleep, jump at shadows, and cry for no reason the moment he saw anything red. And he didn't know WHY. Was he scared? Did he think it was blood? Why was his hero wasting away? He couldn't figure out how to HELP, and it was breaking his heart.

Below him, on the ground, Link was practicing with his sword, swinging it back and forth like the artist he was, making moving silver patterns on air that shined against the darkening sky behind him. Sheik recognized some of the movements, from months of watching him fight unspeakable horrors from the sidelines. There, a jump attack. And that move was how he had killed the dragon in the fire temple, Volvagia. Sheik remembered how beautifully Link had played the Bolero of Fire at the time. And every other song he had ever played, ever, for that matter. He particularly liked it when he still played Song of Storms, because it meant he could come up closer without being noticed, due to the darkening sky and the pitter patter of rain drops. He could watch through the window of the little hovel in the middle of nowhere that Link now lived in without him ever knowing he was there, or that he was being practically stalked by some creepy BLOOD EYE.

Link had stopped now, and was going back into the little hut, a sad look on his face. WHY? WHY did he look so SAD? Sheik climbed down from his tree and sneaked closer to the house, peeking through a hole in the thatch to see Link pull out a lyre.

That was another thing; Link was learning the lyre. Or trying to, at least. No matter how many notes he missed, though, Sheik was sure it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Link was play HIS instrument. He knew there was no reason behind it, at least not one connected to him. Link had probably heard someone on a street corner playing it, and thought it was nice enough, and that was why he was playing it. If he ever remembered that Sheik had once played it for him, he would not doubt throw it away in disgust. Link was too amazing to share an instrument with someone like him, Sheik was sure.

Still... it was nice to hear him play. Sheik himself had also tried to learn the ocarina, and sometimes played along with Link, though softly and while praying he wouldn't be heard. It was just, he liked the way they sounded together. He was barely as good as Link, and he still made the occasional mistake, but the feeling that playing with the blond Hylian produced still felt the same. It was like flying; even if he missed a wing beat or two, he was still flying.

If only he could actually play with Link again.

Like that would ever happen. Sheik smiled wryly to himself as Link played the wrong string, sending out a too sad sound compared to the otherwise sweet song, and restarted. He pulled off his own lyre from his belt and leaned his back against the wall. Maybe this counted as playing with him?

xXx

Link frowned as he restarted the song, hoping to get it right this time. The first few strains of music sounded awkward, but as he kept going on it got got better. He skipped a note and then went on too quickly, but continued playing regardless. It was now his life goal to play this song, the Prelude Of Light, right at least once in his life, even if it killed him. Though he sincerely hoped it wouldn't, because death by lyre sounded pretty pathetic considering some of the things he'd faced down. Imagine, the great Hero Of Time, brought low by a STRINGED INSTRUMENT. Zelda would no doubt be cackling.

Zelda... He hadn't thought thought of her for a while. He'd been trying not to, in fact. Every time he did, he just thought of her betrayal as Sheik. She had several times tried to get in touch with him, one time even coming to visit, but he had sent her back to the castle as soon as he could, with a sad excuse about her needing to rule her kingdom, not spend time with some morose legend whose time was over. She kept trying for a bit, then eventually the messages just sort of trickled down, and now he hadn't heard from her for at least a few weeks. She had several times offered to send him back, to his childhood, so he could enjoy it, but each time he turned her down. It had felt like, if he did, he'd somehow be betraying her. Or, more so, Sheik, or Sheik's memory at least. He didn't want to forget all this.

He didn't want to forget SHEIK. Not EVER. He wanted to remember him, treasure his memory, and someday find out it was all a lie, because he'd bump into someone and see that they had beautiful red eyes, and then it would all be fine, and he'd spend the rest of his days surrounded by sweet scents and actually decently played lyre music and maybe even feel SAFE. Not like Ganon was going to pop out of every shadow and destroy everything again. Maybe, with Sheik, he wouldn't feel so helpless...

If only. Link shook his head and started over yet again. Sheik was gone, and he knew it. He was completely alone, out here in the nothingness, with only his fears to keep him company. Yet he could almost swear he heard someone else playing...

So there. Not sure if that's really any good, in fact it probably isn't, but with any hope it isn't the worst thing you've ever read? Opinions would be appreciated, and have a nice day! Byeeeeeee!


	3. REALLY

Link thought he was doing quite well. PROBABLY. He wasn't really sure. He was still sad, and angry, and lonely, and basically just a big ball of pent up frustrations and bottled emotions. However, he could go near wells without screaming now, as evidenced by the buckets of water he was carrying, so that surely showed improvement? It had been a while since he was able to go near them. There was one near his shack, but he had previously preferred to fetch water from the nearby stream. Because, well... Deadhand, basically. Facing something like that THING at the age of nine was sure to leave a few scars on a young mind. So he was pretty proud of having conquered his fears. However, he had yet to conquer anything to do with the great fairies, because, despite being incredibly kind and helpful, they were just plain creepy.

Link walked the last length to his shack and set the two buckets just inside the door, before grabbing the fairy bow and going out again, a small, wry smile on his lips.

With any hope, he could hunt something nice to eat tonight. And with even more hope, maybe he could even not panic over some shadow that turned out to be just a rabbit, like last time.

Some Hero of Time he was. Bunny rabbits and scantily clad fairies scared him.

xXx

Sheik sat far in the distance from the object of his UNWANTED affections, sitting in front of a small fire with his cowl down and a hot piece of iron held carefully in one rag wrapped hand, his other arm out and bare, waiting for the far too familiar process to begin. He hissed as the hot metal made contact with his skin, before yanking it away and staring at the mark it had made. His skin where the metal had touched was left red and blotchy, and he smiled the tiniest bit at it.

UGLY, just like him.

With a sound of satisfaction he put the iron back in the fire and smeared some of the waiting honey on the mottled spot and wrapped his arm up in another bandage, adding another layer to his already existing bandages. He had quite the collection by now, he mused to himself as he gazed down at the many layers of dirty white. Any more and he'd look like a Gibdo.

Suddenly, behind him, he heard the tiny crack of a breaking twig. He immediately whirled around, only to freeze when he saw what was there.

Golden hair, green garb, and beautiful blue eyes that matched the color of the sky EXACTLY, and were now widened in shock.

WELL GODDESSES. COULD HE JUST NOT GET A BREAK. Not that Sheik minded the person, of course, he would never mind the person. However, the situation was less then perfect...

"Sheik...?" A quite voice broke the silence, and just hearing it directed at him again sent shivers of delight and apprehension up Sheik's spine. Link's voice was always so damnably SWEET.

"Um... yes?" What else was he supposed to say? WHAT could he POSSIBLY say in a situation like this? 'OH, YEAH, I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN TO MENTION THAT I'M ALIVE AND HAVE BEEN STALKING YOU FOR ALMOST A YEAR. BECAUSE UNREQUITED LOVE AND OTHER SOME SHIT THAT ISN'T NOT WEIRD AT ALL. OOPS. REALLY MEANT TO MENTION IT, BUT SORRY?' No, that would get him killed. Although honestly he was probably going to die anyways, so maybe he should just go ahead confess while he was at it, get it all out before his no doubt gruesome end.

"Is... is it really you, Sheik?" Link asked, taking a tiny step forward. Sheik immediately took an equally small step back.

"Uh, no. I'm a hallucination. Please go away." He answered, deciding to abandon the whole confession plan and go for as painless a death as possible. His hero gaped at him for a moment, before taking another step forward. Then another. In fact, Link was running at him rather quickly, and Sheik flinched back, afraid of the pain he knew was coming, but he didn't run. His legs wouldn't move. Oh well, he deserved it. He had known all this time that Link hated him, he should have been more careful.

At least this way he would be dying at the hands of someone he loved. Even if that person had never loved him back. The only problem was that now there would be no one to watch over the Hero of Time. No one to watch as he cried on his own and played sad music, no one to cry and play along.

He really, REALLY hoped Link would find someone new to watch over him...

However, instead of the expected feeling of hands wrapping around his neck, or a sword piercing his gut, or any other painful method of death Link was sure to use on him, when Link reached him and he closed his eyes before he could get a glimpse of hate filled eyes, he instead felt a weight land on his back and strong arms and legs wrap around him in a half-hug, half-hold-this-thing-so-it-cannot-get-away kind of embrace.

It was actually really nice.

Too bad he'd be dying so soon, he would have liked to feel Link's arms around him for at least a little longer.

Only... for some reason he wasn't dying. Link was simply hanging tightly to him, his lovely face no doubt scowling ferociously like he always did when he was hanging onto something for dear life.

...Oh Goddesses of Hyrule and above, this was SO awkward. And NICE, too. His unmasked face was no doubt red by now. But if Link stayed where he was, Sheik was probably going to faint of happiness and some twisted form of pleasure. And he'd really hate to inconvenience Link like that.

"Uh... Link... Please don't do this... Please let go..." He whispered, and dearly wished that he had left his cowl up tonight, because LINK HAD SEEN HIS FACE. He was swaying with increasing panic at the thought, only stopping his approaching panic attack when he heard Link talking next to his ear.

"Nu-uh, no way! If I do, you'll just go 'POOF' like you always do!" The Link proclaimed, and Sheik froze.

"And does that... upset, you?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but asking anyways, because he was obnoxiously happy at the moment and also pretty certain that he was going to die soon, and ultimately he just wanted to KNOW. Even though he knew that of course it didn't upset Link, he had never seemed to get rid of Sheik soon enough. He still wanted to know for sure, hear it from his beloved hero's own lips.

"Of course it does! Stick around and talk for once!"

...WHAT.

xXx

Link wasn't really sure whether he should be happy or... nope, nope, happy was definitely the way to go. Hopefully. He, at least, was happy, extremely so in fact. Beneath him Sheik had long since stilled, and with a tiny start, Link realized that he had caught him with his cowl down. He had been so caught up with finally seeing him again, he hadn't really noticed. Because it was SHEIK.

HIS BEAUTIFUL, PRECIOUS SHEIK.

Unable to get away Sheik, Link realized. The other blond had started to struggle again, a panicked air to his movements, and Link suddenly remembered how quickly Sheik had always left. Had he left so quickly for a reason? Did Sheik not like him? The thought made his grip on the red eyed beauty in his arms loosen, and he was sent flying as Sheik shoved him off his back and kicked him further away. Did he really want to get away so badly?

Too bad. Link would follow Sheik until the end of the world, whether he wanted him to or not. He scrambled up gracelessly and for the first time got a good look at Sheik without his mask.

Without the dirty white material covering his face, Sheik was just as pretty as Link had imagined he'd be. Prettier, even. His features were refined and surprisingly feminine. Link had always thought he'd look more masculine, but this was even better. Sheik looked more beautiful then Princess Zelda ever had, and Link knew that thought would absolutely kill her, but he didn't care. He would think it anyways. Sheik's eyes were as red as ever, and without the offset of the white they looked brighter then ever, rubies instead of eyes on a sand colored face.

Unfortunately, Sheik soon realized what Link was staring at and swiftly pulled the cloth up over his nose, but the damage was already done. Link had seen his face. And he REALLY wanted to see it again.

"Sheik, please don't go." He whined, automatically hating how weak he sounded as soon as he'd said it. Why was he always so pathetic nowadays? He had slain monsters beyond imagining, why did he always have to sound so weak? Yet surprisingly, the Sheikah's red eyes softened instead of filling up with disgust like he had almost expected, washing away the panic that had been in them previous.

"You actually want me to stay?" The other asked softly, so softly he had to strain to hear it, and Link hastened to nod. The other's eyes shined with ruby relief for the tiniest moment before returning to neutral garnet, and suddenly Link found himself wondering why he had ever even started to doubt the existence of the other. Someone like Sheik could never be FAKED.

"Then I shall." At the Sheikah's words, Link's answering grin could have split mountains, let alone his face. "But I won't be taking my cowl off again."

DAMN IT.

* * *

So... how was that? I was trying to make it a bit more cheery and funny, since it was supposed to be the happy chapter, but now it seems a little mismatched from the other chapters. Anyhow, thank you to my darling brother Rengoul, who helped me with this!

Also... I got a review saying this: _" maybe you could do more fics like this? like stretching across to other zelda games as well? (link needs a therapist omg his friends need to help him) so much gets put on his shoulders but he just keeps freakin smiling"_ That I wanted to answer. To start, yes, sort of. I want to write a oneshot about Ruto, for exaple, and her feelings for Link and how they were all pretty much dashed when she became a sage. And maybe something for the Skullkid from Majora's mask, as well. But if you're asking for more Shink, then I have no clue. Or if you just mean other stories about Link and his mental trauma and hero complex and inability to let things go and emotions out, in general, then sure. I'd love to. I'm not kidding, I love how heroes face the worst things but no one ever notices it, because, well, they're the heroes. People worry about those who were caught up in the sidelines, but heroes are expected to cope on their own, because... I dunno. The worlds unlogic.

Please tell me if you think I should write one more chapter of this terrible mess, like an afterward, and feel free to flame me for my terrible butchering of all things sacred as I wrote this story. Thanks for reading, and Byeeeeee!


End file.
